Day 43 - Meander through Bushy Park

Day 43 - A meander through Bushy Park before it got too busy and before the torrential rain, including a visit to the Water Gardens adjacent to Upper Lodge. The water gardens are a Baroque-style collection of pools, cascades , basins and a canal. They were originally built for the 1st Earl of Halifax about 1710 when he lived in Upper Lodge. The house was used as a hospital for Canadian troops in the First World War, then as a school for East End boys with respiratory diseases. During the Second World War the site was used by US troops and then it was taken over by the Ministry of Defence. The Water Gardens site fell into disrepair until restoration in 2010. Upper Lodge is a very large house(14,000 sq ft) in 3 acres of gardens , it was sold to a private British buyers in 2009 for over £8 million, on a Crown Estate lease. See extras for Water Gardens painting from 18th century, and today.
This deer happened to be relaxing very near the path so able to get a good photo with my iPhone.

- delivered card, present and plants to friend for her birthday tomorrow
- planted more seeds in between rain showers
- forget me nots and polyanthus to green waste bin which is very full as council has suspended collections.